Château La Commanderie

Plaigne, France

Château La Commanderie in Plaigne is one of the rare Cathar castles still inhabited. La Commanderie was built in the 12th century by Guillaume de Plaigne, a Cathar Lord, who took an active role in the massacre of Avignonet and afterwards joined the besieged stronghold as a member of the garrison, along with his brother, at the famous siege of Montségur.

In the 16th century, Barthelemy de Plaigne extended the château. It was sold the Knights of Malta (The Knights Hospitaller) in the 17th century. In the 19th century, the chateau belonged to Mr de Nicol, who modernised the building, and it remained in this family for a century, the last descent being Vilolette de Ferluc.

Today, the imposing castle retains its original spirit of an ancient medieval castle, but modernised to create a family home. It has been beautifully decorated by the current artist-owner and her family, creating a grand but comfortable setting for a holiday, family or company event.

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Château La Commanderie, Plaigne, France
See all sites in Plaigne

Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in France
Historical period: Birth of Capetian dynasty (France)

More Information

catharchateau.com
www.catharcastles.info

Rating

4.1/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Capitole de Toulouse (55,9 km)
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Musée des Augustins (55,5 km)
Notre-Dame de la Daurade (55,8 km)
Pont Neuf (55,6 km)
Church of the Jacobins (56 km)
Toulouse Cathedral (55,2 km)
St. Mary Magdalene Church (46,2 km)
Mirepoix Cathedral (11,3 km)

User Reviews

Thiebauld WildRoses (2 years ago)
I photograph a lovely english wedding there, gorgeous historic location, big park, beautiful outdoors. Couple was very happy !
Margaret Eveleigh (2 years ago)
Beautiful chateau set in beautiful surroundings. Perfect to celebrate our daughters marriage. We used outside caterers, photographer, hairdresser and florist who made the day perfect. Family and friends all enjoyed themselves. The chateau is very close to Belpech which is ideal to purchase groceries. It is also about 15mins away from Mirepoix which has a fantastic Monday market.
Robin Marchant (5 years ago)
Our Wedding (27th June 2015)- Robin and Sarah Marchant We have had the best time of our lives this week, celebrating our wedding with our friends and family. The chateau surpassed all of our expectations and we feel very lucky to have been able to stay here. No one wanted to leave and we are talking about having a reunion next year. Magical memories created for life. We will most definitely be back. Thank you so much Rebecca for your help and wonderful hospitality.
Simon Le Maréchal (6 years ago)
Hired venue in June for a party for a week. Hostesss companied that we arrived 20 minutes early and when we left the following Monday we waited for 1/2 hour for her to arrive back. Very complicated system for locking up Chateaux and very time consuming, so if you wanted to leave the venue you had to allow at least 1/2 an hour for this process. Venue price was supposed to include cleaning, it was not very clean when we arrived, lots of glass etc under the main dining room table. Hired in caterers were very good, and wine very reasonable in price. The bedrooms are not off a corridor but go from one to another so sleeping arrangements need to be sorted as should you need to go to the toilet in the night then you would need to go through someones bedroom. There are no fire or smoke alarms and only wooden staircases one extremely narrow to escape in the case of fire. This would not come up to UK fire regs. A charming building in a lovely location possibly ideal for a day event such as a wedding but not for a long stay.
Eric Gethers (7 years ago)
"Be careful, you may get what you wish for." Life is full of cruel and unjustified surprises. Anyone who's lived will tell you that. Except in this case. I recently wrote a book that was translated into French. Great reviews. (If I do say so myself) I don't bring this up to toot my own horn. My publisher, as a result, decided to host a week- long celebration for me and potential book sellers. They chose Chateau la Commanderie and it was MORE than I could have wished of. The chateau is right out of novels far greater than mine, (replete with 13th century staircases and hidden rooms) Anything we needed was supplied in a moment's notice. The grounds are lush and beautiful. I was there to celebrate my book but wound up celebrating my surroundings. You'd have to be crazy not to adore this place. I know I'm gushing and going on and on, but it was truly a magical experience. The owner, Rebecca Gregory, was a delight as well. In short, I'd sit down and write another book just to go back to the chateau. And believe me, that's saying a lot.
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